I really hated Chris Paul for most of the past decade. But Bron called me last night. He talked to me for damn near three hours about how good of a friend Chris is.
If big bro cool with CP3, I'm cool with him too @KingJames 🤣
I kind of hope DDV opts in and his 3-point shot comes back so we can see more lineups with both him and GP2. The ball pressure they create together is a beauty to watch. It's a shame the offense doesn't exactly work with those two, Loon, Dray, and JK on the floor, because defensively that group is off the charts.
Naz Reid is getting a $42mil/3yr (so $14m/yr) contract from the T-Wolves. That's quite a bit more than Looney's $24.5m/3 contract, actually. Feels like either an overpay or a sign that Looney is insane value, but after looking into it, not quite as crazy as I thought.
Win Shares for the 2023 season, Centers only, with 2023-24 salaries (per bbref):
1. Jokic ($46.9m)
2. Sabonis ($19.4m)
3. Embiid ($46.9m)
4. Allen ($20m)
5. Claxton ($8.75m)
6. Davis ($40.3m)
7. Looney ($9m)
8. Vucevic ($22m)
9. B. Lopez ($13.9m)
10. Plumlee ($9m)
11. Gobert ($41m)
...
40. Reid (~$14m)
aside—I chose Win Shares because it accounts for availability and playing time, which are relevant details for a contract. But while looking at that, I was struck by how high Chris Paul was, despite age and injuries, in the PG ranking for WS too. He was higher than Ja and Murray, far above Poole and others.
Man, I'm more and more on board with our draft picks the more I watch their tape. I don't think they're the next Shaq and Kobe or anything but I believe both of them will be staple role players for us. Moody should fall in that category as well. Meanwhile I think JK will be the one that ends up blossoming into a full on star.
I have to say that I was not thrilled with the Podz pick, as I thought there were at least three better players on the board - all also guards - but became more so with the TJD one, as TJD was on my "lets trade down from 19 to 29 list." The good thing I see for both picks is that each seems to have an elite skill/ability, which I think is generally necessary for weeding out players in the non-lotto range. Podz obviously can shoot the lights out, and TJD is a great, and instinctive, rebounder, which I think can make him playable next to Looney even without outside shooting.
In simple cave man (Michigan State philosophy) offensive terms, once Looney and TJD learn to work positiionally together, you can run some sets where everyone else can fling up threes, and the two of them grab everything that comes off the rim and keep kicking it out until something goes in, TJD hits a comfortable 8 foot in scoring spot, or JK sees an opening after the defense is out of position from the rebounding fray.
Just want to point out that during Myers' later years, we have never had a real go to back up PG. CP3 is the first one. Quinn Cook was the last one that played for more than one season. I think he won two rings. It's. been a revolving door position from Ky Bowman to Mannion and Jerome. CP3 is an enormous upgrade for us at PG. He's no joke or poser. This should make our other bench players show their true colors this season barring injuries, and help develop their games.
I'd be on board to keep Ty as the 3rd PG if we can afford him. He was very good at taking care of the ball and can run our offense when CP3 has to take games off.
So was Poole but these players weren't true PGs. Andre was a Swiss Army Knife who couldn't stay healthy for very long. Not since Livingston have we had one.
Andre's health issues were just the past few seasons. In his first run with us he never played fewer than 63 games a season. But he was really a point forward to the extent position is even meaningful with a guy like that. BTW add to your revolving door Brad Wanamaker.
I don’t think the front office ever was under the impression that he was going to be a ball handler or run the second unit. They knew he was a defensive specialist who could cut and make the occasional 3.
The FO has been getting some shit for somehow not making the best of their young talent. A #2 pick of Wiseman turns into re-signing their own guy GPII for more money, there are arguments that Kuminga and Moody don't fit, or don't yet, etc.
But let's take a look at Poole without any drama, without the what-ifs.
What actually happened was this: he was drafted 28th. 28th!! Plucked from obscurity. He then developed within the organization and was a *key contributor* off the bench in winning a title in 2022. But he still had weaknesses and was overpaid relative to team capacity, so they traded him and his big contract for a one year deal for a Hall of Fame bound veteran who *may* be a really good piece for them, and even help them win another chip. That's in play. And if they don't win and they let his contract expire, they have room to pay their veterans.
That's all masterclass stuff. Cellar-dwellers like Minnesota et. al. never play these cards right. A 28th pick usually means a guy who's coming off the bench for Maccabi Tel Aviv in three years. The Dubs knocked it out of the park, I think.
Basically what it boils down to is not to pick in round 1 - expectations are much lower in round 2 - so its much easier to feel we made a great pick in round 2 if the pick plays a good chunk of a at least one season 😯
Yeah, if you told someone 4 years ago that the Dubs would eventually trade Poole and a couple picks for Chris Paul, you'd have been laughed out of the room.
The Hornets have one of the most loaded Summer League rosters in terms of drafted NBA guys I've seen, they have eight (!) players on the roster who have been drafted in the last three drafts including three third year players and this year's #2 pick.
The Warriors play the Hornets on July 5th. I'm sure some of these guys get shut down midway through Vegas but Golden State with their 3 drafted players (including Santos) might face the full strength Buzz City buzzsaw.
Occasionally, I've looked at his box scores at SC. I must admit that I was less than impressed after watching him play in the summer league. I'm assuming his age and inexperience need time to adapt to the Warrior system. This blueprint is seemingly not easy to fit into as it is built around actual players and not just xx's and oo's. I'm not the one to judge his readiness. I thought Q was ready but where is he now?
Winning games in Summer League doesn't mean much though. It's like winning Cactus League or Grapefruit League games in baseball. The point is to see what you have with the young players and give them a chance to play together, not so much to win games, nice as that is. The expansion 1960s Washington Senators used to regularly win in the Grapefruit League during spring training and then finish near or at the bottom of the AL (before divisions) in the regular season. Summer League is similar.
Yep. Personally, I don't give a crap, other than you get one more game if you are first or second in the standings, IIRC.
Pick a couple of players, see how they do, see if anyone pops, don't read too much into it (this should be called the Anthony Randolph rule).
The only thing I would take away is when a guy who's been on an NBA team for a year comes back to summer league, and does not dominate, l figure he won't be in the league very long.
Edit: I think this is the one place where I wish I understood the nuances of NBA skills a little better. It would be fun to be able to look at a player who maybe isn't showing that much, but see the skills things he does well and realize he's got a chance.
If you take out the made shots requirement, but only use official stats (https://www.nba.com/stats/help/statminimums), 60 players shot better than 35%, 42 shot 37% or better, and 14 (including Watanabe) shot 40% or better, while shooting under 80% from the line.
Brandin shot 77% from the stripe in college in a pretty small sample — 144 FTA. If just five of those rim in rather than out, he’s at 81%. And … he just turned 20.
Not really comparable to a 28 year old with a 69% career FT.
According to this site, Podziemski shot (235/296=)79% from the FT line in three years of varsity high school basketball, including (106/127=)83% in his senior year. Also shot (239/592=)40% from three in those three years including (85/198=)43% in his senior year.
Could not find his EYBL stats but according to this article (which gives some interesting backstory in Podziemski) he himself says he was "playing absolutely terrible" in EYBL which motivated him to take basketball more seriously:
Absolutely, was just thinking about the small 30+% gap. I was also thinking about the likelyhood of Brandin's FT% improving vs his 3pt regressing. The fact that Joe Harris is 77% career FT'er makes me think that it could be neither haha.
It seems the new Kawakami article stating the FO is expecting the payroll + tax of 420m for the following season strongly indicates that Draymond is getting 3/75. At least that’s how the calculation goes assuming minimum signings and one vacant spot for the rest of the roster.
Reasonable, but the Warriors could give him the same $100 k bit stretched out over four years for better roster flexibility etc. if Dray is willing to go along.
Why has the trading with Washington screeched to a stop. It was going so well. Like when Captain Kirk and that old flame of his changed bodies. How about JK for Gallinari? Believe me now and hear me later. We're here to pump this team up, win now, show our muscles later. We could probably consummate this trade by throwing in a 1st and a 2nd to Washington. Flex Dunleavy, don't be a girly man. Show Curry you really mean it. #ALL-IN #AssistedLiving
"[Wojnarowski] Timberwolves center Naz Reid has agreed on a new three-year, $42 million deal with a player option, his agents Sean Kennedy and Jeff Schwartz of @excelbasketball tell ESPN. Undrafted out of LSU, Reid had his best season with 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds."
Let's assume for a minute that we don't trade anyone else and we re-sign Draymond. Our last couple slots are going to be undrafted guys or vet minimums. (Up to you if you want to assume DDV opts in or out.)
You can speculate endlessly on vets who'll take the minimum now even if they haven't before; let's not worry about those. Limiting yourself to *just* players who didn't make more than a vet min last year, who would you want to bring on?
I think we won't see who the last few guys are until training camp / preseason. There are usually some useful guys who stand out there, like Yurtseven last year (signed a 2-year deal with the Heat), GP2 the year before, etc. Which means we have plenty of time to scout and speculate.
I'm supportive. DLee is a fantastic backup SG, familiarity with the Warriors system, plus family connections. Rebounds well, fouls a little too much on defense but at least puts in the effort, and isn't afraid to take big shots.
Watanabe, I'm less familiar with, but what I have seen looks positive.
Speaking of bringing guys back, I would still take JTA, too, just for the bench presence. Playing with joy is his specialty, and we could really use more of that. (Positionally, he doesn't really play a role we need unless both Moody & Kuminga are out for some reason, though he can do a "G-league's Draymond" impression in a pinch...)
Any guy we can get on a vet min to fill out the roster is pretty much a borderline NBA player by definition. Being an Oakland guy and likable is pretty much perfect, if he can temporarily fill in when guys are out.
Going with other people's suggestions, I think I'd be satisfied with a roster that looks like this:
Any guy we get on a 2-way is a borderline NBA player but I don't think that's always true of vet min guys, though sometimes it is. It could be an old vet who can still play well for limited minutes and is chasing a ring or winding down, or a rehab project. JaVale was on a vet min both seasons with us. So was David West. We got Bjelica on a vet min. In Barbosa's first season with us he was on a vet min. Casspi was vet min but I guess he was borderline. An example from another team: Carmelo Anthony was on a vet min the last couple of seasons and could still play in a limited role.
I guess I include those things in my definition of "borderline"—IMO if they aren't in the NBA the next season that sounds like they were borderline to me! Or if their minutes are very restricted, that also sounds borderline.
Successful reclamation projects (JaVale maybe?) mean a guy goes from borderline to solidly in the league.
Now, if a guy gets a better than minimum contract offer and passes it up to play somewhere he likes the culture or is ring-chasing, that's not a borderline NBA player, but those are the exception, not the rule.
I’m a no on DLee, fond as I am of him. Even with JP and (likely) Donte moving on, we’re well stocked in guys 6’-5” and under (Steph, CP3, Podz, GP2); and our two transactions to date made us smaller. Feel like our next additions have to big wings (6’-7” to or over) and/or stretch bigs.
I also want to maximize minutes for JK and Moses, and can’t really think of a non-injury scenario where I’d rather see DLee out there than either of those guys.
Moses had better obviate all DLee minutes. But if we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel and just looking for “mature depth” DLee would be a fine option to slot in behind Moses
Lee has proven that he can be a good natured, ever ready presence at the end of the bench, but would also be quite justified in wanting a role where he can play more
Can already tell you between Victor, Scoot, Ausar, and Amen this is going to probably be an All Time Top 5 draft of llikeable and engaging NBA players.
Have a bit of a theory on that: I think as we get further and further away from the Kobe and Jordan generations and these kids growing up watching Lebron but now moreso Curry, i think they’re realizing that ones persona doesn’t have to be asshile for it to translate to on court play. By that I mean if anything these kids are emulating from Steph is being skilled and maximizing ur abilities on the court and being personable off it.
It could be a bit of both? Like you don't need to have the same edge to your personality to play in the current league, but I sorta think an overly antisocial mentality inhibits the trust you probably need to make the current offensive paradigm work effectively. I don't think it's a coincidence that the young players/ teams that haven't put it together also seem to have acerbic personalities in their locker room. I'd imagine teams with a jerk who can iso suffer from the jerky personality less than when the jerk is running in a delocalized scheme.
Otoh, winning will paper over a lot of shit that we otherwise might know.
[Stein] I continue to hear nothing but strong confidence emanating from the Bay Area that an agreement on a multi-year deal for [Draymond] Green to stay right where he's always been is forthcoming.
Draymond is going to go to the Kings on Day 1 of free agency, get a huge offer from Forever Warrior Vivek, spend 3 days "mulling it over" to screw the Kings out of getting other free agents they want, and then ultimately choose to return to the Warriors on the deal that they already agreed upon before July 1st.
All's fair in love, war, and basketball free agency.
OT: I googled Jonas Jerebko to see what he was up to, and he's basically persona non grata in Sweden after signing with CSKA Moscow one month AFTER the war started. He left a few months later, but what the heck?
(speaking of love, war, and basketball free agency)
I really hated Chris Paul for most of the past decade. But Bron called me last night. He talked to me for damn near three hours about how good of a friend Chris is.
If big bro cool with CP3, I'm cool with him too @KingJames 🤣
https://twitter.com/money23greem/status/1672767402306863104?s=46&t=axFNM8-E0eUBlHUbIgeXJQ
Edit: I just saw this was from @Money23Greem a fake account!
OT, but interesting (if true).
https://youtu.be/D2YW5lE2yn0
I kind of hope DDV opts in and his 3-point shot comes back so we can see more lineups with both him and GP2. The ball pressure they create together is a beauty to watch. It's a shame the offense doesn't exactly work with those two, Loon, Dray, and JK on the floor, because defensively that group is off the charts.
Naz Reid is getting a $42mil/3yr (so $14m/yr) contract from the T-Wolves. That's quite a bit more than Looney's $24.5m/3 contract, actually. Feels like either an overpay or a sign that Looney is insane value, but after looking into it, not quite as crazy as I thought.
Win Shares for the 2023 season, Centers only, with 2023-24 salaries (per bbref):
1. Jokic ($46.9m)
2. Sabonis ($19.4m)
3. Embiid ($46.9m)
4. Allen ($20m)
5. Claxton ($8.75m)
6. Davis ($40.3m)
7. Looney ($9m)
8. Vucevic ($22m)
9. B. Lopez ($13.9m)
10. Plumlee ($9m)
11. Gobert ($41m)
...
40. Reid (~$14m)
aside—I chose Win Shares because it accounts for availability and playing time, which are relevant details for a contract. But while looking at that, I was struck by how high Chris Paul was, despite age and injuries, in the PG ranking for WS too. He was higher than Ja and Murray, far above Poole and others.
Man, I'm more and more on board with our draft picks the more I watch their tape. I don't think they're the next Shaq and Kobe or anything but I believe both of them will be staple role players for us. Moody should fall in that category as well. Meanwhile I think JK will be the one that ends up blossoming into a full on star.
Especially excited about TJD. I think this dude will play his role at a competent to high level sooner than we'd expect.
I have to say that I was not thrilled with the Podz pick, as I thought there were at least three better players on the board - all also guards - but became more so with the TJD one, as TJD was on my "lets trade down from 19 to 29 list." The good thing I see for both picks is that each seems to have an elite skill/ability, which I think is generally necessary for weeding out players in the non-lotto range. Podz obviously can shoot the lights out, and TJD is a great, and instinctive, rebounder, which I think can make him playable next to Looney even without outside shooting.
In simple cave man (Michigan State philosophy) offensive terms, once Looney and TJD learn to work positiionally together, you can run some sets where everyone else can fling up threes, and the two of them grab everything that comes off the rim and keep kicking it out until something goes in, TJD hits a comfortable 8 foot in scoring spot, or JK sees an opening after the defense is out of position from the rebounding fray.
The Rotating Door:The Warrior Bench
Just want to point out that during Myers' later years, we have never had a real go to back up PG. CP3 is the first one. Quinn Cook was the last one that played for more than one season. I think he won two rings. It's. been a revolving door position from Ky Bowman to Mannion and Jerome. CP3 is an enormous upgrade for us at PG. He's no joke or poser. This should make our other bench players show their true colors this season barring injuries, and help develop their games.
livingston, andre, poole, barbosa, dlo... but yeah cp3 is an upgrade
I'd be on board to keep Ty as the 3rd PG if we can afford him. He was very good at taking care of the ball and can run our offense when CP3 has to take games off.
So was Poole but these players weren't true PGs. Andre was a Swiss Army Knife who couldn't stay healthy for very long. Not since Livingston have we had one.
Andre's health issues were just the past few seasons. In his first run with us he never played fewer than 63 games a season. But he was really a point forward to the extent position is even meaningful with a guy like that. BTW add to your revolving door Brad Wanamaker.
On offense, yeah, definitely a big. On defense, a switchable guard who's best at ball pressure.
I don’t think the front office ever was under the impression that he was going to be a ball handler or run the second unit. They knew he was a defensive specialist who could cut and make the occasional 3.
The FO has been getting some shit for somehow not making the best of their young talent. A #2 pick of Wiseman turns into re-signing their own guy GPII for more money, there are arguments that Kuminga and Moody don't fit, or don't yet, etc.
But let's take a look at Poole without any drama, without the what-ifs.
What actually happened was this: he was drafted 28th. 28th!! Plucked from obscurity. He then developed within the organization and was a *key contributor* off the bench in winning a title in 2022. But he still had weaknesses and was overpaid relative to team capacity, so they traded him and his big contract for a one year deal for a Hall of Fame bound veteran who *may* be a really good piece for them, and even help them win another chip. That's in play. And if they don't win and they let his contract expire, they have room to pay their veterans.
That's all masterclass stuff. Cellar-dwellers like Minnesota et. al. never play these cards right. A 28th pick usually means a guy who's coming off the bench for Maccabi Tel Aviv in three years. The Dubs knocked it out of the park, I think.
It can be a 2 year deal for CP3 if the Warriors are willing to guarantee his '24-'25 deal but it isn't cheap.
Basically what it boils down to is not to pick in round 1 - expectations are much lower in round 2 - so its much easier to feel we made a great pick in round 2 if the pick plays a good chunk of a at least one season 😯
Yeah, if you told someone 4 years ago that the Dubs would eventually trade Poole and a couple picks for Chris Paul, you'd have been laughed out of the room.
Agreed, if you think of it as we traded a #2 pick for CP3 and a #28 pick for GP2, it seems much better.
The Hornets have one of the most loaded Summer League rosters in terms of drafted NBA guys I've seen, they have eight (!) players on the roster who have been drafted in the last three drafts including three third year players and this year's #2 pick.
https://twitter.com/buzz_szn/status/1672737476916420610
The Warriors play the Hornets on July 5th. I'm sure some of these guys get shut down midway through Vegas but Golden State with their 3 drafted players (including Santos) might face the full strength Buzz City buzzsaw.
I think many fans forget about Santos. He has a game which if developed properly can bring a lot to the Dubs. Great size, athleticism, and skills.
Do you think Santos is ready for a 2-way? He wasn't this past season but he does have potential.
Occasionally, I've looked at his box scores at SC. I must admit that I was less than impressed after watching him play in the summer league. I'm assuming his age and inexperience need time to adapt to the Warrior system. This blueprint is seemingly not easy to fit into as it is built around actual players and not just xx's and oo's. I'm not the one to judge his readiness. I thought Q was ready but where is he now?
Pretty sure we're required to win all the games we are the 'home' team, and lose all the games we are the 'road' team.
Winning games in Summer League doesn't mean much though. It's like winning Cactus League or Grapefruit League games in baseball. The point is to see what you have with the young players and give them a chance to play together, not so much to win games, nice as that is. The expansion 1960s Washington Senators used to regularly win in the Grapefruit League during spring training and then finish near or at the bottom of the AL (before divisions) in the regular season. Summer League is similar.
Yep. Personally, I don't give a crap, other than you get one more game if you are first or second in the standings, IIRC.
Pick a couple of players, see how they do, see if anyone pops, don't read too much into it (this should be called the Anthony Randolph rule).
The only thing I would take away is when a guy who's been on an NBA team for a year comes back to summer league, and does not dominate, l figure he won't be in the league very long.
Edit: I think this is the one place where I wish I understood the nuances of NBA skills a little better. It would be fun to be able to look at a player who maybe isn't showing that much, but see the skills things he does well and realize he's got a chance.
After picking in the lottery for 400 seasons. I would hope they had a loaded Summer League team.
Forgot they had Kai Jones. How many Centers do they need? Between them and Detroit they have the market cornered on young centers
Watanabe: 39% 3 pt career avg, 68.7% FT (kind of like Podz: 43, 77)
So I looked up the top 3-pt shooters (minimum of 82 3-point field-goals made) sorted by FT%. These are the players under 80% ft (worst first):
Andrew Wiggins
Joe Harris
Sam Hauser
Nicolas Batum
Torrey Craig
Al Horford
Caris LeVert
Kevin Huerter
Jaden McDaniels
Doug McDermott
Keegan Murray
Grant Williams
Jordan Nwora
Michael Porter Jr. (exactly 80%)
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=3+point+percentage+leaders+2022-23
If you take out the made shots requirement, but only use official stats (https://www.nba.com/stats/help/statminimums), 60 players shot better than 35%, 42 shot 37% or better, and 14 (including Watanabe) shot 40% or better, while shooting under 80% from the line.
https://www.nba.com/stats/leaders?CF=FG3_PCT*GE*40:FT_PCT*LE*80
39 & 69 is quite unlike 43 & 77, tho…
Brandin shot 77% from the stripe in college in a pretty small sample — 144 FTA. If just five of those rim in rather than out, he’s at 81%. And … he just turned 20.
Not really comparable to a 28 year old with a 69% career FT.
Tried to find more of a sample, this is what I found.
https://www.maxpreps.com/wi/delafield/st-johns-northwestern-military-academy-lancers/athletes/brandin-podziemski/basketball/stats/?careerid=3q1if4f0sit66
According to this site, Podziemski shot (235/296=)79% from the FT line in three years of varsity high school basketball, including (106/127=)83% in his senior year. Also shot (239/592=)40% from three in those three years including (85/198=)43% in his senior year.
Could not find his EYBL stats but according to this article (which gives some interesting backstory in Podziemski) he himself says he was "playing absolutely terrible" in EYBL which motivated him to take basketball more seriously:
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2023-nba-draft-brandin-podziemski-goes-from-bored-baseball-standout-to-fulfilling-pro-hoops-aspirations/
Absolutely, was just thinking about the small 30+% gap. I was also thinking about the likelyhood of Brandin's FT% improving vs his 3pt regressing. The fact that Joe Harris is 77% career FT'er makes me think that it could be neither haha.
It seems the new Kawakami article stating the FO is expecting the payroll + tax of 420m for the following season strongly indicates that Draymond is getting 3/75. At least that’s how the calculation goes assuming minimum signings and one vacant spot for the rest of the roster.
That seemed like the most likely number. Maybe they match Klay to it next season so everything expires together.
Or 4/100, right? If Dray really wants to only play 4 more years, idk if he'd want to sign for 3?
Player option on 4, possibly.
That'd make sense to me too
Could very well be. I just assumed 3 years based on a report he wants his contract to align with Curry’s.
Reasonable, but the Warriors could give him the same $100 k bit stretched out over four years for better roster flexibility etc. if Dray is willing to go along.
Yeah, I could see them internally think of his contract as 3/100, but spread out over 4 with a PO and under favorable guarantees?
Why has the trading with Washington screeched to a stop. It was going so well. Like when Captain Kirk and that old flame of his changed bodies. How about JK for Gallinari? Believe me now and hear me later. We're here to pump this team up, win now, show our muscles later. We could probably consummate this trade by throwing in a 1st and a 2nd to Washington. Flex Dunleavy, don't be a girly man. Show Curry you really mean it. #ALL-IN #AssistedLiving
Damn, I didn't flex my brain muscle. Moody for Muscala works, too. #Beale2025
I prefer Moody for Gafford, since that means you will still have the same number of Razorbacks on the team.
Gallinari is a Celtic.
I guess it’s “was” and I am behind, lol. Apologies for the confusion.
I thought he got flipped to WAS in the Unicorn trade. He's on WAS in FANSPO
He was traded to the Wizards along with Muscala for Porzingis.
"[Wojnarowski] Timberwolves center Naz Reid has agreed on a new three-year, $42 million deal with a player option, his agents Sean Kennedy and Jeff Schwartz of @excelbasketball tell ESPN. Undrafted out of LSU, Reid had his best season with 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds."
The dream is dead.
Boo.
👀
That’s a lot of hooch for a backup C that plays a lot like KAT
I think we'd love to have him for $14 mil a yr.
I kinda wonder how long KAT is going to be in Minny. Minnesota has what? $89 million tied up in three centers now. That's a ton.
Yeah, I was thinking more like this is another step towards KAT becoming available for real.
MN was figuring on playing KAT and Gobert together but that hasn't turned out so well.
But if he’s not a backup center…
Aw, I was hoping he would go East. But yeah, keeping him in Minnesota was a MUST. If the Wolves didn't, everyone would be laughing at them.
A pipe dream
Let's assume for a minute that we don't trade anyone else and we re-sign Draymond. Our last couple slots are going to be undrafted guys or vet minimums. (Up to you if you want to assume DDV opts in or out.)
You can speculate endlessly on vets who'll take the minimum now even if they haven't before; let's not worry about those. Limiting yourself to *just* players who didn't make more than a vet min last year, who would you want to bring on?
I think we won't see who the last few guys are until training camp / preseason. There are usually some useful guys who stand out there, like Yurtseven last year (signed a 2-year deal with the Heat), GP2 the year before, etc. Which means we have plenty of time to scout and speculate.
JTA? I love all the respect and loyalty here, but really, he doesn’t have much to give at this point.
Mo Wagner and Shake Milton
Damien Lee and JTA are likely the best available
No, please.
I'd love Lee back and would like JTA if he came back too.
I'm supportive. DLee is a fantastic backup SG, familiarity with the Warriors system, plus family connections. Rebounds well, fouls a little too much on defense but at least puts in the effort, and isn't afraid to take big shots.
Watanabe, I'm less familiar with, but what I have seen looks positive.
Speaking of bringing guys back, I would still take JTA, too, just for the bench presence. Playing with joy is his specialty, and we could really use more of that. (Positionally, he doesn't really play a role we need unless both Moody & Kuminga are out for some reason, though he can do a "G-league's Draymond" impression in a pinch...)
JTA had one good season, and he's an Oakland guy, but he's a borderline NBA player.
Any guy we can get on a vet min to fill out the roster is pretty much a borderline NBA player by definition. Being an Oakland guy and likable is pretty much perfect, if he can temporarily fill in when guys are out.
Going with other people's suggestions, I think I'd be satisfied with a roster that looks like this:
PG: Curry, Paul, Podziemski
SG: Thompson, Moody, Lee
SF: Wiggins, Payton, Watanabe
PF: Green, Kuminga, Toscano-Anderson
C: Looney, Wagner, Jackson-Davis
Any guy we get on a 2-way is a borderline NBA player but I don't think that's always true of vet min guys, though sometimes it is. It could be an old vet who can still play well for limited minutes and is chasing a ring or winding down, or a rehab project. JaVale was on a vet min both seasons with us. So was David West. We got Bjelica on a vet min. In Barbosa's first season with us he was on a vet min. Casspi was vet min but I guess he was borderline. An example from another team: Carmelo Anthony was on a vet min the last couple of seasons and could still play in a limited role.
I guess I include those things in my definition of "borderline"—IMO if they aren't in the NBA the next season that sounds like they were borderline to me! Or if their minutes are very restricted, that also sounds borderline.
Successful reclamation projects (JaVale maybe?) mean a guy goes from borderline to solidly in the league.
Now, if a guy gets a better than minimum contract offer and passes it up to play somewhere he likes the culture or is ring-chasing, that's not a borderline NBA player, but those are the exception, not the rule.
A step backwards, IMO.
"Fantastic" is a pretty strong word for DLee. "Adequate" would have been my choice
fantastically adequate
I'm all in, except I think he's the opposite of the players mDuo13 ruled out. He got the min last year, but will get more this season ...
I’m a no on DLee, fond as I am of him. Even with JP and (likely) Donte moving on, we’re well stocked in guys 6’-5” and under (Steph, CP3, Podz, GP2); and our two transactions to date made us smaller. Feel like our next additions have to big wings (6’-7” to or over) and/or stretch bigs.
I also want to maximize minutes for JK and Moses, and can’t really think of a non-injury scenario where I’d rather see DLee out there than either of those guys.
Moses had better obviate all DLee minutes. But if we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel and just looking for “mature depth” DLee would be a fine option to slot in behind Moses
Lee has proven that he can be a good natured, ever ready presence at the end of the bench, but would also be quite justified in wanting a role where he can play more
Yuta! But I think DLee is a fine 12th or 13th guy for all the reasons others have already stated.
DLee was a good Warrior, knows how to play Kerrball, and he's Steph's family. We could do a lot worse if we can get him on a vet min.
Can already tell you between Victor, Scoot, Ausar, and Amen this is going to probably be an All Time Top 5 draft of llikeable and engaging NBA players.
As long as Brandon Miller leaves his gun at home.
Listen to the wise words of Johnny Cash!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFmt6VNANlI
This was the first time I heard Ausar and Amen speak and they seem like really nice kids.
Have a bit of a theory on that: I think as we get further and further away from the Kobe and Jordan generations and these kids growing up watching Lebron but now moreso Curry, i think they’re realizing that ones persona doesn’t have to be asshile for it to translate to on court play. By that I mean if anything these kids are emulating from Steph is being skilled and maximizing ur abilities on the court and being personable off it.
Plus the game is less about rough and tumble and more about skill now. Less of a bad boys vibe.
It could be a bit of both? Like you don't need to have the same edge to your personality to play in the current league, but I sorta think an overly antisocial mentality inhibits the trust you probably need to make the current offensive paradigm work effectively. I don't think it's a coincidence that the young players/ teams that haven't put it together also seem to have acerbic personalities in their locker room. I'd imagine teams with a jerk who can iso suffer from the jerky personality less than when the jerk is running in a delocalized scheme.
Otoh, winning will paper over a lot of shit that we otherwise might know.
[Stein] I continue to hear nothing but strong confidence emanating from the Bay Area that an agreement on a multi-year deal for [Draymond] Green to stay right where he's always been is forthcoming.
Good
Oscar de La Hoya vs Eddie Hearn. Battle of the Mid Offs when it comes to boxing promoters?
Boxing promoters are all snakes, I don't have a dog in their fight. I guess neither is as bad as Mauricio?
So, you're saying we have a puncher's chance?
< too soon? >
🥁
Draymond is going to go to the Kings on Day 1 of free agency, get a huge offer from Forever Warrior Vivek, spend 3 days "mulling it over" to screw the Kings out of getting other free agents they want, and then ultimately choose to return to the Warriors on the deal that they already agreed upon before July 1st.
All's fair in love, war, and basketball free agency.
OT: I googled Jonas Jerebko to see what he was up to, and he's basically persona non grata in Sweden after signing with CSKA Moscow one month AFTER the war started. He left a few months later, but what the heck?
(speaking of love, war, and basketball free agency)
Wow, what was he thinking? Is he that desperate for a roster spot?
Man, what a tone-deaf move. And, I'm sure it's a much bigger deal in Sweden than here in the States.
Yikes
Yeah, he should have done the right thing and played in peaceful Istanbul.
Haha yeah that would've been a close 2nd. (Although, of course many people in Turkiye aren't anti-Sweden or even pro-Erdogan)